Agartala: The Tripura government has initiated a survey to identify families affected by the recent communal clashes in North Tripura’s Kadamtala area and has begun distributing interim relief, senior officials said on Tuesday.
Speaking to the media at Dharmanagar, Tripura Revenue Secretary Brijesh Pandey said, “We have started identifying the families impacted by the violence, and efforts to provide interim relief are underway. So far, 69 families have been identified, and 20 people have received relief. The Chief Minister has tasked us with coordinating relief efforts and conducting on-ground inspections.”
Pandey also noted that a meeting on relief measures was held at the District Magistrate’s office. “We are here to review and oversee the response efforts on the Chief Minister’s behalf,” he added.
North Tripura District Magistrate Debapriya Bardhan provided updates on the measures taken to restore peace in the area, stating, “Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita are in place. Executive magistrates and videographers have been deployed to monitor the situation and identify anyone attempting to incite further violence. Peace meetings are being conducted in phases.”
Bardhan also explained that mobile internet services had been suspended across the district to prevent the spread of misinformation via social media. “We noticed that social media was being used to spread false information, which is why we suspended mobile internet. Our teams are actively monitoring social media, and strict action will be taken against anyone found spreading misinformation. Separate teams are conducting surveys in the affected areas, and Rs 5,000 is being provided as interim relief in line with government norms,” he added.
A two-member team of senior officials, including RD Secretary Abhisek Singh and Revenue Secretary Brijesh Pandey, visited Kadamtala on Tuesday. They chaired a detailed meeting and toured some of the affected areas.
Addressing questions about violations of Section 163 on the night of the incident, Bardhan said, “We are working to identify those responsible for the violence. Cases have been registered, but our priority is to restore peace ahead of Durga Puja.”
Meanwhile, police have arrested 11 people in connection with Sunday’s incidents. “Two individuals were arrested for assaulting a driver, which is believed to have triggered the clashes. One was arrested for vandalism, and eight were arrested for the night-time clashes,” said North Tripura Superintendent of Police Bhanupada Chakraborty.
In total, 16 security personnel were injured while trying to control the violence at Kadamtala market on Sunday night.
Also Read | Tripura: Olympian Dipa Karmakar retires from gymnastics